This is one of the most litigated questions among writers due, I think, to a fear of being called out as preachy or pedantic. But we look to stories because they contain something meaningful enough to be worthy of our attention. Consider that even Seinfeld - 'the show about nothing' - was very clearly about something.⠀

An example of a LESSON from famous stories… Star Wars Ep4: Quiet your mind and listen to the wise voice inside you (even if it tells you to turn off your targeting computer).⠀

The story's LESSON isn't always something a character says out loud at the end, it's the more like the key insight that the audience takes away. Other than the smashing special effects we've all come to expect, the meaningfulness of the lesson is ultimately what makes any story worth paying attention to.⠀